Interview with Erin Swan
I often put out calls for authors to promote themselves by letting me interview them for my blog. Erin Swan was one of the first to respond. Check her out.
What
inspires your writing?
I
get inspiration for my stories from many places, including books,
movies, video games, and even my own life. But the inspiration to
actually write? I think that comes from the need to see my stories
told. I’m not satisfied to just let them turn over and over in my own
mind. I need to put them down. I need to see it actually come
together, and see the characters come to life.
What
is your process of developing characters?
I
frequently start off with only a very basic idea of who my characters
are. I know their names, the thing that drives them the most, but
aside from those basic details, I don’t really get to know my
characters until I’m deep into writing. Most of my characters develop
as the story moves along. Their internal struggles and personal
journeys are just as vital to the story as the movement of the
plot and any external struggles they may face.
Did
you Start with a story outline or did you make it up as you went
along?
I
usually have a very basic idea of where I want my story to go, but
I’m not much of a plotter. I like to let the story flow in whatever
way feels best as I’m writing.
How
much research did you need for your story?
I
don’t feel that I needed an excessive amount of research for Bright
Star. I
wrote in a world of my own creation, so I didn’t need to get into
extremely in-depth research sessions for historical accuracy or
anything of that sort. Most of my researching was focused on battle
strategy, medieval-type transportation, and Latin translations of
words and phrases for names and such.
What
researching methods did you use?
Google
is my best friend, and my go-to for research.
What
were some of your methods for handling worldbuilding?
I
view my world as a character and, in the same way other characters
do, I start with only a basic idea of what this world is like. As I
write, it begins to flesh itself out. Characters travel to new
regions, and those areas come to life. Discussions of history or
politics crop up in the story, and those things begin to fill
themselves in for me. Questions regarding magic are asked, and I
begin to figure out the intricacies of the various magic systems.
Over time, the world simply becomes a fleshed-out character as the
other characters explore it.
Did
you draw on personal experience?
Bright
Star is
a very personal story for me. When I wrote it, I was extremely
reserved, uncertain of who I was and my place in the world, and
constantly doubting my own worth. This is the same place that Andra
is in for the beginning of the story. I wanted to write a story about
a character who was going on this journey of self-discovery just as I
was in my personal life. As I discovered my inner voice, Andra found
hers. As I began to believe in my own strength and abilities, so did
she. In many ways, Andra’s journey was mine. You know, just without
the dragons.
How
did you publish?
I
published traditionally, with Tor Teen.
Why
did you do it that way?
I
didn’t feel confident in my ability to publish and market a book
myself, and I am an extremely cautious person, especially when it
comes to finances, so the idea of having to invest a decent amount
upfront to self-publish made me a bit nervous. Traditional just
always felt like the better path for me.
How
long did it take to land representation?
I
never actively sought representation. Bright
Star was
posted online for many years before being discovered by the team from
Inkitt. They contacted me and asked to represent me and help me to
get published. So, I suppose in some ways you could say it took years
to get representation, while in terms of actively seeking
representation, it took no time at all!
Who
did your cover and marketing?
My
cover (which I am completely in love with and obsessed with) was
designed by Larry Rostant. He’s an incredible artist that was
contracted for the work by my publisher, Tor Teen. They also did a
great deal of marketing for me, and Inkitt pitched in a bit too. Of
course, I still try to do as much marketing as I can personally.
What
are some of the methods you have used to generate interest in your
book?
Personally,
my efforts are mostly limited to social media. I’ve also distributed
bookmarks to bookstores and libraries in my area, and booked speaking
engagements at schools to try to generate interest.
Did
you use beta readers? How did you secure them?
Bright
Star was
initially posted on FictionPress and then on Inkitt, so I suppose you
could say that I had thousands of beta readers! I loved getting
feedback from a large online audience, and grew a great deal from
that. I’ve also utilized a few fellow writers as beta readers, but
have never hired professional beta readers.
How
did you keep your tone appropriate for YA audiences without making
your story too “Adult” or mature for them?
I
actually went through a great deal of editing that was focused on
this. My editor felt that there were several themes and subplots that
were too adult for a YA audience. I really had to take some time to
put myself into the mindset of a high school-aged reader, and
determine just how much grittiness was appropriate, and how dark was
too dark.
How
many revisions did it take to get a publishable book?
I’m
constantly editing as I write for minor errors. But in terms of large
revisions, I believe I went through four rounds of editing and
rewrites, most of which was focused on cutting down unnecessary
content.
What
aspect of the book writing process did you find the most challenging?
The
actual writing process has always been fun for me. I don’t really
struggle with any part of that, aside from actually making the time
to sit down and do it. It’s editing that I struggle with. When it
comes to Bright
Star, having
to cut so much content was definitely a struggle. The original
version was about twice the length of the published version, and
removing entire plots and scenes that I loved was really difficult.
What
are you writing now?
I’ve
just finished the first draft of a YA fantasy called Four
and Twenty Blackbirds. I’m
working on the first round of edits now, and I’m hoping it will be my
next published book.
What
is your advice to other writers?
Don’t stop writing. You don’t have to write every day, but don’t let it become something that you used to do. I stopped writing for years after graduating college. I just felt like it wasn’t important anymore. It took my husband pushing me after we first got married to rediscover my love for writing, and now I just look back at all that wasted time, thinking about everything I could have written and how much I could have grown in that time as a writer. I would hate for any other writer to have learn that lesson the hard way like I did — or worse, simply never get back to something that they loved so much. So, my advice is to remember why you started writing in the first place. It’s like a relationship: Sometimes you have to rediscover why you fell in love, but it can be done. Your relationship with your writing is not a love that you should ever give up on.